Retracting type theater chair



h; Dec. 20, 1949 R. K. MERRILL 2,492,103

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed June 29, 1946 INVENTOR Ralgh K Merrill ATTORN EY Patented Dec. 20, 1949 RETRAGTING" TYPE THEATER- Ralpli Kl MerrilLiG rand Rapids, Mich, assignor" toAmel-ican Seating Company; Gra'nd 'Rapidsl, Miclil, a corporation of NewJerseyfi Application June 29, 1946, Selia1'NoL 680,461

L roams: 1:

more particularly to chairsof theretractingtype for installation in theaters, auditoriums and the like.

'l'hepriiiiarydbjcts of the convention are to provide a chairof-the retractingtype wherein the occupant may move the seat rearwardly in order to permit cthers: to" passin front of him without his having to rise from his'seat; to provide such a chairw-hose seatand backassembly may be readily installed" on pre-installed pedestals; to provide such a chair having an arrangement of pltoted links whereby the chair 'may be easily and comfortably retractedand returned to for wardposition; to provide such a chair whose mountii'igs and operating mechanism are con cealed from view; and in general to provide such a retracting chair which is quiet and efficient in operation, reasonably economical in manufacture, and attractive in appearance.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a retracting theater chair in its forward position of occupancy, a portion of the near supporting pedestal being broken away to reveal operating parts beyond;

Figure 2 is a right hand side elevational view of the same with the right hand pedestal removed, and with certain parts being broken away to reveal the internal construction;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 and showing the chair seat and back in their retracted positions;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of certain parts taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of supporting standard for the chair.

Referring now in detail to these drawings and particularly to Figures 1-4 inclusive, the retracting chair there shown is mounted on a pair of spaced, vertically disposed pedestals I having apertures I l therethrough for mounting the chair thereon, conventional arm rests I2 and which pedestals are preferably connected by a strengthening brace l3.

The seat and back assembly of the chair is mounted on spaced mountin bars or standards H which have apertures l through the lower portions thereof, and these apertures adapt the standards for removable attachment to the pedestals by means of bolts l6 and nuts H.

The chair back l8 comprises an outer back panel I!) and an inner back panel 20, upholstering material 2| of cotton padding, moss, palm fibre or the like, and an upholstery covering 22 of at the bottom: and thus ha e upwardly extend welding 2-1 to the inner-walls of the wings. The

chair back is thus pivotally mounted for" swing inglrmove'ni ent? about a horizontal i axis; above 1 the pedestals I0:

ward ends to the lower part of the back on opposite sides. The forward ends of these links 28 are pivotally connected to the upper ends of front supports 29 whose lower ends are pivotally connected to the lower ends of the standards It.

The chair seat 30 is turnably mounted on the links 28 by means of brackets 3|, and the forward part of the seat may thus be manually raised to facilitate sweeping under the chair. When in its normally lowered position of occupancy, the seat is supported by stops 32 which rest on the links 28.

It will be seen that the seat 30 may be retracted by the occupant thereof from its position shown in Figure 2 .to its position shown in Figure 3 during which retracting movement the back Is swings about its pivotal connections to the standards [4. This retracting movement is stopped by the contact of rubber bumpers 33 secured as by vulcanizing to the inside walls of the wings 23, with the standards It. Returning forward movement of the seat and back is stopped by contact of shoulders 34 formed in the links 28, with the standards [4.

The front supports 29 on opposite sides of the chair are desirably connected by a strut 35 secured as by welding to these front supports, thus increasing the stability of the structure.

In Figure 5 is illustrated a modification 01' the chair supporting standards. The standard l4 here shown is provided with a front leg 36 and a rear leg 31, which legs are flanged inwardly at their lower extremities and are secured to the floor as by bolts 38. By the use of this type of standard on opposite sides of the seat and back assembly hereinbefore described, the necessity for the pedestals I0 is eliminated.

It will thus be seen that a retracting chair has been provided in which the mountings and operating mechanism are of simple and sturdy construction and which are concealed from view, and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details thereof may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a chair, a chair back having forwardly extending wings with upwardly extending hollows therein, spaced standards having arms which extend upwardly into the wings and pivotally support the back, front supports having their lower ends pivotally connected to the lower portions of the standards, links connecting the upper ends of the front supports to the chair back, and a chair seat mounted on the links.

2. In a chair, spaced pedestals, arm rests mounted on the upper ends of said pedestals, a chair back having forwardly extending wings with hollows therein extending upwardly beyond the arm rests, standards secured to the pedestals and having arms which extend upwardly into the wings and pivotally support the back above the level of the arm rests, front supports having their lower ends pivotally connected to the lower portions-of the standards, links connecting the upper ends of the front supports to the chair back, and a chair seat mounted on the links.

3. In a chair, a chair back having forwardly extending wings with upwardly extending hollows therein, spaced standards having arms which extend upwardly into the wings and pivotally support the back, front supports having their lower ends pivotally connected to the lower portions of the standards, links having their forward ends pivotally connected to the upper ends of the front supports and having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the back, a chair seat mounted on the links turnably about a horizontal axis, and stops on the chair seat adapted to contact said links for supporting the seat in a lowered position for occupancy.

4. In a chair, a chair back having forwardly extending wings with upwardly extending hollows therein, spaced standards having arms which extend upwardly into the wings and pivotally support the back, front supports having their lower ends pivotally connected to the lower portions of the standards, links connecting the upper ends of the front supports to the chair back, a chair seat mounted on the links, said links being bent to form shoulders adapted to contact the standards for limiting forward movements of the links, and bumpers concealed within the hollows in said wings adapted to contact said standards for limiting rearward movements of the chair back.

RALPH K. MERRILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

